How 9% Growth Means Nothing - Our People Still Die For 1500 INR | Rangde |

Peepli Live!, remember anyone?
What was it all about?
Nathha? LaalBahadur or AamirKhaan?

Exert a little pressure on our minds and you will realize that it was about 'farmer suicides '. In India, which is growing at a rate of 9% per year. Thousands of farmers have killed themselves because they could not pay back their loan. And when you hear the amount they had to pay back,you might hang your head in shame. Some of the farmers [at least 10,000] committed suicide along with their families because they could not manage to pay a loan amount of INR 1500.

The Small Scale Industries [कुटीर उद्योग] also share the same fate; they are dying at a very slow but consistent rate. Every year thousands of people close down their home grown businesses [read integrity and self-respect] and head to Delhi, Noida, Mumbai and other big cities to work as laborers or unskilled workers [read 9% growth rate per year]

It was important to cater to the needs of the rural workers and at the same time protect them from the claws of landlords. Ram and Smita started Rangde.org, which is an effort to share the love and show that we all are a big family where we all care for each other and help others in difficulties.

Here is how Rangde works, read carefully.

I am a farmer, I work in a village in Himachal and the local moneylender is the only one who is willing and able to give me money for my farming and non-farming needs. So, I head to the local moneylender and ask him to lend me INR 1000 so that I can buy equipment [See what equipment I use] and reap my crop in time. I am always optimistic because that is the best and the only thing I can do, so I assume that day after I get the money, I will reap my harvest and sell it and pay back the loan.

My moneylender is a nice person, at least he appears to be one. He charges only 1% per day and as my work will be finished in three days, I will have to pay back only INR 1030 three days later. Currently, the moneylender is as optimistic as I am. Now, I buy my equipment, go to the bed and next morning I wake up to see its raining, just as it was raining a few months back. It rains continuously for three days and my entire crop is washed out, as I am poor I can only manage gunny bags as cover, which is going to serve no purpose because the rains this year have been very harsh.

Three days later, I see my crops, they are all gone, and this is the only piece of land I ever had, now as there is no one to help me and the money lender tells me that If I can't pay back the loan within the next six months, he will confiscate my land. In case, if I do manage to get hold of some money in four months [120 days] I will be paying him 1000+ 120% Interest because the interest is 1% per day [Compound Interest]. I will ask what is Compound Interest and he will explain it to me and even then I will not be able to understand that how did my 1000 become 5000.

Now here is why Rangde is important for millions of farmers like the one described above. 

Rangde shall lend me the same money with a very low interest and shall provide me with ample time to repay the amount back (in a year). I will never have to worry about the interest rates or repayment terms because Ranngde allows me to take my time because my lenders [investors] do not want my land, they don't even want my life, they just want to see me happy and working because if I work, only then they get to eat.

Rangde asks its investors, commoners like you and me to invest amount as low as INR 100, so that people keep working, manage their household well, and send their kids to school. You do not have to ask for their religion or caste or breed, you just have to see their need, which is sometimes as low as INR 1000 and on top of that, it is not like you give and forget, you will be paid back with interest of 5% within a year. This investment makes more sense than letting the same small amount rot in your savings account (only 3.5% interest)

It is not giving, it is sharing.
It is not donation, it is social investment.
It is not charity; it is about integrity of a farmer.

Few weeks ago when there was a news about Japan's Nuclear Radiation reaching India, people got  worried about their countrymen, so they did not waste even a single moment to post it on Facebook, twitter and some of those who were too patriotic ended up SMSing everyone.

Well, that news was a hoax.

But farmers’ killing themselves is true. Aamir Khan said this in Peepli Live (watch it again if you still want proof)

The following news paper articles say the same
1. Wikipedia Link
2. A Professor speaking about farmers suicide
3. Farmer Suicide
4. Madhya Pradesh Farmer Suicide

Rangde is almost similar to Kiva.org, a successful and popular micro-finance organization, started and run by the Americans.

If you want to show patriotism, this is the right time so that your coming generations do not die because of food shortage. We so proudly go to ChowkiDhani, and feel good about our culture, the village culture. Our Villagers are dying and without them, there will be nothing left to be proud of.

In case you are too much in love with IPL, Rangde makes sure your social investment [Rangde IPL] is in the name of your favorite team.

Step up and take charge because since your childhood, you always wanted to make a difference.


Are you ready?